Collateral Damage
by Tarkendar
Summary: The team of SG-1, while on a mission of trade with a planet far out in the galaxy, encounter an attack by the Goa'uld. As they escape through the Stargate a blast of energy strikes the gate. When the team arrives at the other end, they find themselves in the warm, wonderful town of Sunnydale. All rights reserved to their respective copyright holders
1. Chapter 1

**Collateral Damage – Chapter 1**

The building, set in the very back of a similar group of buildings in the business complex, looked exactly like what it was, a storage warehouse. About the length of a football field and as wide as a 747's wingspan, it stood just over three stories tall. Along its sides were small rectangular windows set horizontally a couple of feet down on the walls from the roof, evenly spaced fifteen feet from each other. Originally painted a bright yellow, the color had faded over the years, leaving it a dingy tan. ****

The pea gravel crunched under the security guard's feet as he walked around the corner, checking the door set in the side, grabbing the handle and giving it a shake to ensure it was locked, juggling his flashlight as he did. Satisfied, he moved to the large set of double doors in which the single door was set. When they were open the doors would allow anything up to the size of a Greyhound bus to enter the building with room to spare. Checking the locks on the doors the guard grunted in satisfaction, then touched his wand to the box set next to the door. A ping emitted from it as it recognized the wand and recorded the time in its database. Glad to be finished with his rounds for the moment, the guard headed down the road toward the front of the complex and his nice warm shack, his mind already on the pot of coffee he'd started perking before beginning his rounds. He rubbed his hands briskly in the cool evening air, flashlight tucked under his arm, already tasting the brew. In moments he'd disappeared into the dimly lit shadows surrounding the buildings.****

The evening progressed quietly, the security guard making his rounds every two hours. He was a tad late for the 3 a.m. round, as he'd fallen asleep at his desk, only waking up when his wand buzzed ten minutes after 3. He hated making the rounds at this time of the morning, and wouldn't have taken this job under normal circumstances, but things weren't normal now. He'd just moved into the area, money was tight, and jobs were hard to come by. Strangely, though, there were a lot of openings for security guards. Grumbling the entire time he quickly made his rounds, returning to his shack by 3:30. He sat down at his desk, kicked his feet up, and was quickly asleep again.

The interior of the warehouse was pitch black. Very little light came in from the windows set high in the two long walls, and what did make its way in was quickly blocked by the tall free-standing shelves that ran three quarters of the length of the building. Over two stories high themselves, they were loaded with boxes, crates, and all sorts of other storage containers. They didn't reach to the end of the building, though. They stopped about fifty feet before the end wall, leaving a large area that was used for storage of the more bulky items that couldn't be put on the shelves. There wasn't much here at the moment, and what was here seemed to have been stored haphazardly. Drop cloths covered everything, turning sharp edges soft.****

Suddenly a low hum filled the air. A rat, startled by the unusual noise, dived back under a pile of goods in the corner of the building, emitting a small squeak of its own as it did so. The noise increased tenfold as, off in the corner, a drop cloth that had covered a tall thin object disintegrated as the vortex of a newly formed wormhole slammed out across the warehouse floor, then snapped back into the now exposed stargate, pieces of the destroyed drop cloth fluttering to the floor. The wormhole's surface settled down into quiet ripples as the rumbles settled down into the near subsonic.****

For several long moments nothing else happened. The rats, becoming quickly accustomed to the rumble of the gate, stuck their quivering noses out from behind the crates to see what new things had invaded their territory. They quickly scurried back under cover as first one body flew out from the surface of the wormhole to land on the floor in a heap, then another, until four bodies littered the floor. Then as suddenly as it had started the wormhole stopped, collapsing in on itself until it was gone. The room plunged into darkness, covering the bodies with inky blackness.****

Xander frowned. "I sense a disturbance in the force." Giles looked at him with a raised brow, while Buffy just looked at him blankly. "Boy, do I need some guy friends. I thought I felt an earthquake." Giles simply shook his head.**  
**

Perhaps he was just tired. After all, they had just come in from patrolling. They got out about 9:30 that night, and looking at the clock now it was just at 3 AM. Perhaps it was just his imagination but he didn't think so.

****"Hey, we live in California!" Xander protested, looking over toward Willow, hoping his friend would throw behind him in support. "What do you say, Will..." he stopped, then sprang forward and grabbed her as she started to collapse. "Gotcha!" he shouted as he prevented her fall, then settled her down on the couch. Even as he did Willow's eyes fluttered open.****

"What happened?" she asked as she straightened herself up on the couch and looked at her friends, who were now gathered around in front of her. "Wait, I fainted?" She grimaced as Buffy's nod confirmed it. "I _hate _it when I do that!" She rose to her unsteadily to her feet, then noticed, now that she seemed to be okay, there was the mixed look of concern and impatience on Buffy's face.****

"Actually Xander was closer to right than he knows," she said. "There was a disturbance in the force. " She grinned at her friend, showing that you didn't have to be a guy to be a geek. "Or at least the magical force. Something has happened to shake the foundations of the magics around here, Buffy. At least, that is the only thing that I can think of that would have caused me to feel it like I did. It was like an explosion on the left side of my head... but it wasn't. I can't explain it any better." She shrugged.****

"Any lasting effects, Willow?" The concern in Giles' voice was unmistakable. He had seen her go through a lot lately. Her breakup with Tara was not too far behind her, and he was a bit concerned with her overall outlook about magics, and her seeming indifference to the possible consequences of her actions. But that was a discussion for another time.****

"I seem to be fine," Willow replied. And she was. The pressure in her head had been intense, but luckily very brief. "Whatever it was, it is gone now."****

"Any idea where this might have come from, Will?" Buffy's voice, although quiet, was forceful. Things had been quiet, relatively speaking, in Sunnydale for the past week, and that was never a good thing. Calm before the storm and all that.****

Willow did not answer immediately, but rather turned her thoughts inward, trying to recall the feeling that had overcome her. Her brow furrowed as she put effort into searching her memory. Unconsciously, though her eyes were closed, she turned her head slowly from side to side as if she could actually see the location. Finally she sighed, opened her eyes, and looked over at her friend.****

"I'm sorry, Buffy. I can't get a definite feel for the location. It appears to be north of us, and not that far away, but that's all I'm getting." Willow looked a bit frustrated. "I would try a locator spell, but I don't have the physical component I need to do that." The look on her face said it all. She didn't like to admit that there was something that she couldn't solve with magic.****

"That's okay, Wills," Buffy replied. She had been thinking about what Willow had said. North of their location were a few blocks of residential housing, and then, beyond those, was the warehouse district. It looks like circumstances have chosen where she'll go patrolling tonight. It might as well be the warehouse district as any other place, she thought to herself as she sat down at the table****

"I'll head back out on patrol and cover the warehouse district. Willow, check and see if Xander's earthquake actually happened." Buffy stifled a yawn that had come suddenly upon her.****

"Cup of tea, Buffy?" Giles asked as he rose and headed for the kitchen. "Nothing like a good cup of tea to put you back at the top of your game." His eyebrows rose as he looked over to Buffy.****

"No thanks, Giles," Buffy said as she rose. "I should go ahead and head back out. I need to be done with the sweep before dawn."****

Col. O'Neill groaned as he opened his eyes and found himself in a prone position. Worse, he did not remember how he got there. The last thing he remembered, they were talking to the natives on PX 479 Alpha about possibly trading some of their natural medicines for some low technology items. It had taken a couple of hours, but he and his team had managed to secure the medicines they were looking for.They had packed up the samples that Dr. Jackson had requested, putting everything in piles next to the stargate until it was time for them to leave. They had been carrying the last load from the small village to the gate when they were attacked by Goa'uld fighters. They followed the plan they always use in situations like this. Dr. Jackson headed to the DHD to key the sequence to take them home, while the rest of them protected his back.

For the most part it went as planned. Daniel had activated the gate while he and Teal'c shot at the fighters with their weapons while Carter tossed the supplies through the gate as fast as she could. She was almost finished when the three fighters that had been harassing them coordinated a strafing attack against them. They were on the small group before they knew it, and the only escape was through the gate. Jack had ordered them to charge through the gate and then followed quickly himself. Teal'c, Daniel, and Sam jumped through pretty much simultaneously, and Jack was only half a second behind. But in that half second Jack saw the plasma bolts blast against the gate and watched as a surge of energy struck the control devices of the gate itself.

He sat up, leaning against a nearby box to allow his head to clear, then winced in pain as his left hand contacted the ground. Looking down he could see blood spotting his uniform sleeve. It hurt like the devil, but he didn't think it was broken. He looked around and spotted the rest of his team on the floor, scattered around the front of the stargate. Even as he looked he saw them begin to stir and sit up.

"What happened to us, sir?" Samantha Carter said as she got groggily to her feet. She leaned over to help Daniel sit up as he stirred on the floor. Teal'c, already on his feet, started to explore the warehouse behind him.

As she neared the Colonel she noticed the blood on his sleeve. "You're wounded!" She grabbed the med kit from her belt and went over to Jack, pulling out her knife as she did. "I'll have to cut that sleeve open, Colonel," she said as she approached him.

Jack winced as he held out his arm. Sam gently held the arm, taking care not to move it more than necessary while cutting open the sleeve.

"I'm not sure what happened, Sam," Jack replied as she worked. "That's your department. There is the gate," he gestured to the gate behind him leaning up on the wall, "but I don't see the DHD. I suggest you make that your first priority while Teal'c, Daniel, and I try to figure out where we are."

"Yes sir," Sam replied. "As soon as I'm done patching you up." With quiet efficiency she proceeded to do just that. Shortly she had his wound clean and bandaged. She closed the medical kit, clipping it on her belt as she stood up.

"I'll get right on the DHD, Colonel," she said as she made her way toward the gate. She began to look around to see if she could find the DHD. Jack watched her for a moment, then moved over to help Daniel to his feet, then looked over as Teal'c returned from his walk around the warehouse interior.

"Looks like there's a door over there," Jack said as he pointed to the door to the far end of the warehouse he had spotted while Sam was bandaging his arm. "I suggest we start there and see if we can figure out what's going on." It did not take them long to pick up the gear that they had dropped when they tumbled through the gate, even with Jack favoring his wounded arm. There was not much gear to collect, as they had sent almost everything back before going to the gate themselves. They still had their weapons, a long with a couple of clips of extra ammunition, some E – rations, and a chocolate bar here or there. In other words they were equipped for a day trip but not for any sort of heavy action.

"Found it!" Sam said excitedly as she finished pulling a tarp from atop the DHD. It didn't look to be in bad condition. At least there was no apparent damage to the unit.

"Excellent work Sam!" Jack replied as he moved toward the front of the warehouse. "Now do you think we could keep the noise down a bit? Never know who might be around the corner." He involuntarily winced as he bumped his left arm up against one of the shelves. Not for the first time was he thankful he had wounded his left arm and not his right. Things were bad enough without him fumbling everything.

Sam, looking a bit abashed, gave Jack and apologetic smile, then turned and started to look over the DHD.

Buffy walked silently between the rows of the buildings in the warehouse district, her practical flats barely making a whisper as she walked. So far it had been a rather uneventful evening. She had dusted a couple of vamps who could not have been more than a couple of days old. Their pathetic attempts to drain her blood almost had her laughing. She hadn't let it go to her head, and had made short work of them once she got down to business. Other than that though, there had not been much in the way of activity. Especially since she had entered the warehouse district. If in an intimate object could be called dead, then these warehouses were dead. Their long walls were hidden in the shadows of the night, their windows black against the lighter shades of pale black that colored the walls.

A sharp sound in the air drew her up short. Her head swiveled, zeroing in on the sound she had heard. She moved quickly to the end of the building, slowly turning her head around the corner. She saw three figures in what appeared to be military garb come out of one of the doors of the building across the street and began to sweep the area. They looked to be in good shape, and they definitely did not look dead. This was all she needed. Another bunch of would be heroes trying to save people who didn't need to be saved. Now she had to figure out how to deal with them. Because Sunnydale was hers. She made that deal with the government after dealing with the Collective, and she wasn't about to let them forget that. So, what better way than a direct approach?

With a bold stride she moved into the middle of the street and headed toward the three figures. "Morning boys!" She said loudly as she moved toward them. "Lovely night for a stroll isn't it?" The moon, hidden by the clouds, took this moment to find a break in the cloud cover, illuminating the street as Buffy walked across it.

Startled, as she had seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, they raised their weapons. They moved apart so as to make it harder for her to attack all of them simultaneously, if it came down to that. The man who appeared to be the leader of the group, an older gentleman, looked quizzically at her.

"It is, isn't it?" Col. O'Neill replied, even as he tried to grasp the fact that he was talking to what appeared to be a 16-year-old girl at 0400 hours in the morning. She didn't look dangerous, but he learned from experience that you could not judge a book by its cover. Daniel would be so proud of him, quoting like that. He looked over at Teal'c and Daniel, then nodded for them to lower the weapons. "I don't think were in any danger from the young lady. Do you?" He asked.

"Well," Buffy said, "not unless you start it," she said brightly. "So listen. I had a deal with you guys. You stay out of Sunnydale, and I don't kick your ass back to Washington. Now what I'd like to know is, why have you decided to ignore that deal?"

Just then a fourth emerged from the doorway. "Col. O'Neill?" Samantha said as she came across the street. "We have a problem." She headed toward the group, then stopped when she saw the stranger with them.

Great. Just what he needed, Jack thought as he looked between Carter and the young teenage girl. "Don't we though? So, I'm not sure what deal you are referring to. We are just passing through." Even that sounded lame to him, and he knew it was the truth. That was the absurd part of it.

"Really?" Buffy asked, not really believing them, and the look she shot him said the same thing. She had her fill of the military when she was dating Riley, and all of that had left a bad taste in her mouth.

"Really." Now Jack let some of the steel in his voice show he wasn't used to his word being question. A soldier he was, true, but he also had integrity.

Buffy quirked an eyebrow as she recognized the new tone of his voice. She imagined her father might have sounded something like that if he was trying to discipline her. But it would not work on her now. She knew better. Life had been hard here, and she had grown up quickly.

"Colonel?" The tone in Samantha's voice suggested to Jack that she really needed to talk to him.

"While this has been fun," Jack said to the teenager, "but we really have to go."

Buffy watched as the Colonel gathered his team together with his eyes, then withdrew back into the warehouse. She glanced up at the cross street signs, making careful note of the address and location so that Willow could keep an eye on the place. As she left the complex she made sure that she wasn't followed and headed home. It was time to get the Scooby Gang together.


	2. Chapter 2

**Collateral Damage – Chapter Two**

Teal'c closed the outer door, securing it tightly both with the deadbolt lock and a piece of nearby two by four and jammed it across the handles, wedging it tightly. He then turned and made his way over to the rest of the group who were standing in a circle looking at each other.

"The perimeter is quiet, O'Neill. The young woman has left the premises." He settled back on his heels, not quite in a standard easy stance. But there was no way you can look at Teal'c and tell he was anything other than a warrior. Even standing seemingly at ease he still radiated power.

"Okay people. What do we know?" Jack looked at them as he spoke, hoping that one of them had an answer to what it happened.

Sam had been waiting for a moment to speak, and now that was here she wasted no time using it. "Colonel, the DHD is fried. Most of the interior modules have been melted into small piles of slag. The only way that I can dial out from here would be to completely rebuild the DHD. From parts that I need to get back from off world. Which I cannot do because the DHD is broken." She looked frustrated that. Samantha Carter was not one that sat back and let others do the work. She would rather dive right in and fix things herself, and did not like it when she could not do it.

Great. Just great, Jack thought as Sam finished speaking. "So when we came through the gate, that fried the DHD?" He asked. His thoughts on the image of the Go'uld energy bolts slamming into the gate as he plunged through the event horizon.

Sam shook her head. "From what I can tell it's been years since these parts were fried. There is dust everywhere, and there just hasn't been enough time between when we came through and now for the dust to accumulate. What I can't understand is how we got here to begin with. I also took a look at the gate. The power receptors are flat. I doubt that there is no juice in them to actually begin the start-up sequence, let alone take things to the point where the wormhole could form." Her face spoke volumes to those that knew her, and these men knew her well. According to the laws of physics, they should not have been able to travel here through that gate. Yet here they were.

Jack thought about that for a moment. He would be the first to admit that he did not have the scientific background of Carter or Jackson. But he wasn't a slouch either. The facade he cast to the people that he met sometimes made him seem a bit slow. He was anything but. "So you're saying that the DHD has been busted for years, and that the ring itself doesn't have enough power to run? So how did we get here then?"

Sam shrugged. "I'm not sure, Sir," she replied. "With the equipment the way it is a wormhole could not have been created by this gate. There's not an erg of energy left. I can't even get the DHD to run diagnostics. Yet there is evidence here that a wormhole did indeed form." She paused and nodded toward the pieces of the now-destroyed tarp that lay scattered on the floor. "I'm baffled".

Daniel has been thinking about their situation since they had gotten here, and while he had helped Sam with the equipment It had not taken him long to figure out what Sam had just told the rest of them. And she was right. There was no way that the gate could have brought them here. But it had. Obviously, since the four them were now here. He opened his mouth to say something to the group when a phantom pain ghosted through his head, bringing a wince to his face. As quick as it came it was gone. He massaged a temple as he turned to the others.

"We are obviously on a planet very similar to our own." He gestured around to the shelves that held various objects. From where he was standing he could see a couple of crates of what look like Campbell's soup containers, several boxes were labeled as containing LED televisions, and Mr. Coffee machines sat in a neat row on another shelf. "I mean, all the stuff you see over there we have at home right? Do you think maybe we came back to Earth through a gate we don't know about? I mean, the stuff is even labeled in English!"

"I don't think so Daniel," Sam stated. "The stargates give off a very unique energy signature when they're used, and even when they aren't there still some energy leakage that can be tracked if you know what you're looking for. And we knew what we were looking for. Ever since we discovered the first gate and figured out the energy signature that it gave off we have had satellites scanning continuously for those particular energy signatures. So far only two of the discovered, the one we have and the one the Russians have. So as much as I would wish that this was home, I really don't think it is." She paused for a moment.

"As to the obvious use of the English language, well, I have no clue about that," she admitted.

Daniel sighed. He had half hoped that he had been right, but he knew that he wasn't. "So. What do we do? Sam, if this world is like ours you think you might be able to acquire the materials to repair the gate?"

Sam shook her head. "Unless they have a gate program of their own the technology needed for the gate probably will not exist here." She stopped, a thought striking her. "I might be able to manufacture what we need if their technology level is anywhere near ours and I can get access to some specific materials." After a second or two she looked over at Jack.

"Actually that might not work," she said a bit sadly. "I would probably need an undamaged part to use as a template to create the other parts. Most of the modules in the DHD have at least one other duplicate in the machine. But there are a crucial few that are unique. They don't have backups. And without those, the machine will not work."

Well isn't that just dandy, Jack thought to himself as he leaned back against the nearby shelving unit. Here they were, on a world where the population at least appeared to look like them from what he saw of the girl that night they met earlier tonight, and they were stranded. He said as much to the rest of the team.

"So we can probably fit in if we have to. I am also fairly sure that any currency were carrying will not do us any good here." He glanced at his watch. Almost 0430 hours. "I suggest we head out to the outskirts of town and find a place that we can lay low until daylight. Maybe in the light things will not look as bad." He saw Daniel looking at him with that familiar 'yeah right' look, and shrugged back at him. What else could they do?

He reached down and picked up his P90 and slung the strap across his shoulder, settling it down in its familiar position. "Gather your gear and let's get out of here. Teal'c you take lead and head southeast until we hit the woods."

In silence the group made their way outside, taking time to quietly close and lock the warehouse door behind them. The sky was full of scattered clouds and was clearer than it had been earlier. Moonlight now lit their way. But when the moon slid behind the clouds the ground between the warehouses, and later the trees, turned gloomy. They did not let it bother them though, because so far what they'd seen was nothing compared to some of the places they been lately.

They had been walking for about half an hour, having successfully avoided the security guard that they had found in the guard shack, sound asleep. Now they had made their way to the outskirts of the woods and began to thread their way through the underbrush. Teal'c abruptly threw his hand up in the signal that brought them to an instant halt as his keen senses picked up something ahead of them. He crept forward, his silhouette even lower than it had been before. Shortly he was lost from view of the others. The others crouched where they were, patiently waiting for his return.

In less than five minutes Teal'c reappeared and made his way over to the small group. He began to tell the others what he found, his voice quiet.

"I saw what appeared to be a native of this planet making his way through the woods. He passed above and to our right so he did not see us. His passage was extraordinarily quiet, but I was able to remain undetected. Two minutes travel north of us is a small clearing. When he got there another man was waiting for him, and had a woman bound in on the ground before him. As they began talking to each other I crept away and returned here to report."

Jack nodded as Teal finished up. "Okay folks. I don't like the thought of a woman being bound. Let's go see what we can find out about this." He looked at Teal'c, then nodded his head toward the path Teal'c had just traveled. Without a word Teal'c turned and headed back up the path. The rest of the group followed.

It was only a matter of minutes, even traveling as stealthily as they were, to make their way to the clearing. Once there though, they found it empty. Teal'c made his way over to the spot where he had seen the two men and woman, and kneeling, found traces of the imprints that the man and woman had made. He studied them for a moment, and then rose and moved over next to O'Neill.

"They headed off in that direction," he said, pointing down toward a small path that went away toward the northwest. "I do not believe they could be more than one or two minutes ahead of us."

With a nod, Jack sent Teal'c heading down the path. Sam and Daniel followed, with himself bringing up the rear. The air was crisp. He thought he tasted the first crisp taste of fall on his tongue as he took a deep breath. At least the air smelled good.

After a few moments of following the path the space between the trees began to widen. Teal'c stopped as the path suddenly ended at the edge of a large clearing full of graves, headstones standing out against the dark ground. They can also see mausoleums and large monuments, all shrouded in the gloom of the night.

"Just like us," Daniel said matter-of-factly. "Wouldn't you know it we find ourselves in the middle of a graveyard." He was about to say more when Teal'c signaled for quiet, having spotted movement nearby. He saw the two men dragging what appeared to be a now unconscious woman deeper into the graveyard.

O'Neill saw them too. With a wave of his hand he sent Sam and Daniel to one side, while he and Teal'c made their way at an angle toward the three figures. They got within ten yards when the figures stopped abruptly and begin to sniff the air, almost like an animal. Then with a low growl one of them turned to look directly at O'Neill.

Jack watched the man, reflecting on how pale he appeared to be. You must not be getting a lot of sun. He stopped, his thoughts churning to a halt as the figure suddenly appeared much closer to him. He knew he should be alarmed, even afraid, but... Didn't really seem to matter. In the back of his mind a small voice screamed at him. It was telling him that this was wrong, he should not be feeling so complacent about this man coming toward him. Even as he watched the man's face wiggled, then formed itself into some bizarre misformed face. With very long fangs.

Jack heard Sam and Daniel yelling at him, and Teal'c was bringing his staff weapon to bear, but that did not matter either. Nothing seem to exist except those eyes. He just stood there as the creature reached out to grab him, his intent to bring Jack into the reach of those deadly fangs evident on his face.

A figure streaked out from nowhere, slamming into the creature. With a move of incredible strength the young woman - and Jack had a second to realize that it was the young blonde that he had met earlier in the evening - picked up the creature and bodily threw him across two rows of headstones to slam against the side of a mausoleum, where he dropped to the ground.

Even as the first creature was flying through the air the woman spun and raced toward the other one who was attempting dragging the woman away. With a snarl he dropped the unconscious woman and spun to face his opponent. He might as well never turned around. The woman did a dropkick to his face and as he was spinning around pulled a stake from her belt and slammed it through his heart, which caused him to promptly explode in a cloud of dust.

The sound of automatic weapons cut through the night as Sam and Daniel opened up on the first creature, who had recovered and was now charging them. The figure staggered, dozens of bullets slamming into his chest, sending it crashing to the ground.

The sudden silence as the firing stopped enveloped them like a shroud. Even as Jack and the others tried to process what they had seen, the young woman ran across his field of vision and leaped, doing a 360° spin to slam the stake, still held in her right hand, into the chest of the creature, now full of bullet holes, as it rose to it's feet. As the creature exploded into a cloud of dust in front of her, she stepped back and looked over at them.

"Didn't they give you any kind of briefing before sending you out here?" She asked incredulously as she looked at the four figures in front of her. "You can't just blaze away with your guns and expect to stop them! You have to take off their heads, or stab them in the heart with a wooden stake. Either one of those surefire way of killing them. But guns? Unless you can blow off their head in one shot, than guns really won't work."

Hearing a low moan Buffy made her way over to the young woman, who was laying on her back and appeared to be gaining consciousness. She helped the woman to her feet and over to a nearby headstone, where the woman leaned against it for support.

"Are you okay?" Buffy asked as she scanned the graveyard with her eyes. Where there were a couple of vamps, more were sure to be around.

The woman nodded as she took a moment to steady herself. "I was in the Bronze, and this really good-looking guy chatted me up, buying me a drink and tell me how cute I was."

On that point Daniel would've agreed. She couldn't of been more than twenty, about 5 foot 2, brunette hair spilling down just past her shoulders. Nice figure too. He allowed himself a small smile.

Almost as if she could hear his thoughts Sam turn and shot Daniel a look, then turned her attention back to the girl.

"The next thing I know, I'm lying on the ground over there looking at the five of you. What happened?"

"Nothing that would make any sense to you, I'm afraid," Buffy responded. "I suggest you hurry up and head home." She turned and started to escort the woman out of the graveyard. "It's not safe out here at night." She began to move off with the woman, then stopped and looked back at the others.

"Well, are you coming?" Buffy asked. It was obvious to her that if she left them out here they will definitely get themselves in all sorts of trouble. They appeared lost, even if they tried to hide it well. She'd seen military units before, and although these guys certainly dressed as one and acted as one, there seemed to be more to it than that. And with what Willow had mentioned earlier about the spike in the magic around the place, and the subsequent arrival of these strangers, she thought she ought to keep her eye on them. Even if that meant bringing them home. Well, at least Dawn wasn't there.

"Opinions?" Jack asked, looking at the other three. He still wasn't sure what he had seen, and wanted to hear what the others had to say. There had to be a logical explanation for all of this. Didn't there?

"Did those two men just… explode into dust?" Daniel asked, still not believing what his eyes had shown him.

"That is how it appeared to me, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c stated as he held his staff upright in his right hand. "Perhaps it is similar to the Goa'uld life draining capabilities. Or perhaps it is the device she used."

"Perhaps it is the fact that they are vampires." Buffy had moved to within easy hearing distance of the group. "Vampires don't like a stake to the heart. Makes them explode. Now it's obvious that you're not from Sunnydale. Come on I'll take you home. You can ask all the questions you want there. And you will be safe there. No vampires. Or any other critters for that matter. Well, except for my sister. She may show up." Buffy half grinned and nodded back toward the edges of the cemetery.

"Vampires?" Sam whispered to herself, her eyes on the teenager.

"Let's get out of here." With a shrug, O'Neill nodded that they should follow her. After all, they were in strange territory and the girl had just saved them from something that didn't look entirely human. He knew he didn't have to tell his team to keep their eyes open. They were smart enough to do that all on their own.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Consciousness crept slowly to the sleepy redhead, the warmth of the crumpled blankets leeching what little will she had to arise from the bed. The sun didn't help as it streamed in through the window to land on her bed, just below her back. She snuggled deeper into them, letting the thoughts of getting up fade into the background of her mind as the warmth of the sun started to put her back to sleep.

At that moment a faint breeze blew in through an open kitchen window, sending fresh scents of breakfast wafting through the house. Wisps of fresh egg, bacon, and toast smells slid past Willow's nose, bringing her eyes open again. She took a deep breath, a smile coming to her face as she thought about the fact that it was not her in the kitchen making those wonderful smells. She sat up straighter, her brow furrowed. Just who _was_ making breakfast? Buffy was lucky if she could perk a pot of coffee and pour a bowl of cereal, poor thing. When it was her turn to do breakfast more often than not a bag of sausage and egg biscuits from Micky D's would be waiting on the kitchen table. So who was doing the cooking? Dawn? She wasn't due back for a couple of days. Tara? Her heart skipped a beat, then she shook her head. The fight they had had... there would be no easy getting over that. Two weeks had gone by with no word from Tara at all. She blinked, fighting back tears as memories slid past her mind's eye.

With a shake she brought herself back to the present, determined to deal with those feelings another time. Speaking of time, it was time she got out of bed and figured out just who was cooking breakfast. She slid out of bed, grabbed her clothes, then headed for the bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later Willow made her way down the stairs wrapped in the plush bright pink robe that Tara had gotten her last Solstice, toweling her hair as she did. Thus she missed seeing the group sitting around the kitchen table.

"Since when did you learn to cook, Buffy?" Willow asked as she pulled the towel off her head. She turned toward the kitchen then skidded to a halt as she saw the four soldiers. Her eyes darted from figure to figure, taking in their fatigues, along with the pistols on their belts. Holstered, but still there. And she could see behind them, leaning against the wall – and within easy reach, she noted – were what looked like small compact machine guns. They also had plates of food in front of them and it looked like she had interrupted their breakfast. At that moment her stomach let be known that it too could tell it was breakfast time, and announced it in no uncertain terms to the room.

Daniel smiled at the young woman, trying to set her at ease. "Breakfast is over there," he stated, nodding toward plates full of scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and a pitcher of orange juice. "Teal'c goes overboard sometimes."

"I do not, Daniel Jackson." The voice was deep and seemed to resonate from the bottom of her feet. She looked toward the end of the table, where a hulking figure sat. After a moment Willow realized it wasn't hulking. He was just big. Muscular in all the right ways, he seemed to emanate strength just by sitting there. Then there was the symbol displayed on his forehead. Her own crinkled slightly as she thought she recognized it. But she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Um, hi?" she replied meekly, her eyes moving back to Daniel. She tried speaking, but for a moment nothing more came to her. Then, "Can I ask what you are doing in my kitchen?"

"You must be Willow," Daniel said, then nodded as he saw the answer in her eyes. "Buffy said to tell you that she had to go down to the magic shop to see Anya, and then she would be back."

Willow stared at Daniel. What he said made sense. Buffy did have some business that she had to take care of with Anya this morning. She'd mentioned it last night at dinner. But that still didn't answer her question.

"Nice avoidance there, bright eyes," she said to Daniel. "But you still haven't answered my question. Who are you and why are you in my kitchen?"

O'Neill chuckled, bringing the girl's attention to him. He could see in her eyes that she would be quick to lose patience with them. He'd heard from Janet just what kind of crazy a teenager could bring, and after all, they were guests.

"I'm Col. O'Neill," he said to her. "This is Major Samantha Carter, Daniel Jackson, and Teal'c." Each member of his team nodded to her as she introduced them.

Willow nodded to each of them. The Major was a fair looking woman, obviously in shape. And from the amount of gear she was carrying she appeared to be able to keep up with the boys. She returned Willow's look with one of her own, and Willow could see the intelligence behind those eyes.

Daniel Jackson appeared almost boyish, with a naivete about him. His eyes and mouth showed that he probably smiled at the drop of a hat. Yet there too the eyes gave him away. No stupid man there.

Then her eyes turned to Teal'c, and all became clear. "I see," she said to them. "You came to us because of the demon in this man's body. You wish it removed?" She didn't know how she knew, but she did. It was the magic, of course. Lately it had manifested itself more and more on its own, without her having to call it. It felt good.

They all reacted to her statement, each in their own way. Daniel's eyes grew larger as he connected what she had said with the immature Gou'ald inside Teal'c. Sam was quick on the draw, a gasp coming from her. Teal'c's eyebrow merely rose.

"You speak of the Gou'ald inside of me," he said. "It is no threat. It keeps me alive." He did nothing as Willow slowly made her way over to him until she stood right next to his chair. Her eyes looked almost luminescent as she looked at him.

She closed her eyes and passed a hand out in front of her, taking in the entire man. She could feel the creature in him, and could see how it was helping him. But she could see hurt there, too. Though not hurt now. More like hurt later.

"You speak truth," she said simply, and the power in her voice could be felt by all of them. Each wondered just what kind of world they had stepped in. "But this thing that helps you now will hurt you later." She looked directly into Teal'c's eyes. "You must rid yourself of this soon. Or lose your life to it."

Suddenly the front door slammed open, startling all of them. "I'm home!" Buffy yelled from the doorway. "Did you miss me?" She sauntered into the living room and immediately noticed the tension in the air.

"Did I miss something?" she asked as she headed over to the breakfast makings and made herself a plate. Willow quickly joined her.

"Since when does the Army come visit?" she asked Buffy. Her stomach growled once again. This time though she answered the call and filled a plate for herself.

"I found them lost in the warehouse section," Buffy replied as she leaned against the center counter in the kitchen and began eating. "They haven't a clue about Sunnydale. I couldn't leave them out there." She gave Willow that half grin that she knew always got her friend. "Besides, I found them right where you said you felt that magical upheaval yesterday."

Daniel, having gotten up get more coffee, paused, having overheard Buffy's last sentence. "I'm sorry," he said, letting his curiosity get to him again, "but did you say magic?"

"Yes she did," Willow responded.

"Now ladies, we all know that there is no such thing as magic," Daniel replied, thinking about all the cultures where so-called magic had been an integral part of their culture. They had managed to explain most of what was reported to be magic to advanced technology. What was that saying, advanced technology cannot be discerned from magic? Something like that. He also had conveniently forgotten the feeling he had had when he had watched the redhead with Teal'c not five minutes ago.

"Excuse me? What world do you come from?" Willow asked sarcastically, her eyebrows raised. The man was in Sunnydale and was spouting off about there being no magic? Hello? Anyone remember the Mayor?

"We're from Earth, actually," Daniel blurted. "Just not your Earth."


End file.
